Regrets and Renewal
by Chev 7
Summary: A forgotten injury from the Chunin exams catches up with Hinata and she passes away. Now Naruto has no idea what to do. Please be kind and leave a review.
1. Chapter 1

Regrets and Renewal

**The hill above Konoha**

Naruto Uzumaki watched as the Hyuga compound began to slowly burn to the ground, despite the effort the Hyuga Clan was making to contain the blaze.

_They deserve it…they all deserve it. They never even bothered to check her after her fight with Neji…they never thought to check her heart…they should have! They should have checked her heart after that match!_

He would never see her smile again…hear her laughter…all because some damned doctor had forgotten to check Hinata's heart after the match.

_I could have saved her if I had only gone with her…I know I could have saved her!_

Naruto turned back down at the Hyuga estate which was now nearly entirely covered in flames and watched as the members of the Hyuga clan grabbed whatever they could and watched their home burn.

**One week earlier.**

Naruto watched as the black coffin was slowly lowered into the ground and he had to fight to choke back a sob as the members of team eight watched as their former teammate was lowered into the ground next to her mother.

_Her heart…all these years it was her heart…If only it had been checked after the match with Neji…Why didn't they check her heart?_

Shino stood next to the coffin, watching the funeral through his ever present dark sunglasses and Kiba was watching from the side, his head was facing away from him, but Naruto could clearly hear his sobs.

_If Neji wasn't out in Wave country right now…I would probably be trying to kill him right now…I know he regrets that match those years ago…but right now, I want to kill him so badly._

Naruto watched as the coffin gently hit the bottom of the ground and began to gently sob as the dirt began to cover the black coffin in ever increasing amounts.

_I could have saved her…I should have gone with her after that match…I know I could have done something…I shouldn't have just watched as they took her away._

Naruto looked past Shino and Kiba, past the gate that led up to the Hyuga household and stared directly at the man standing in the window.

_Hiashi Hyuga…You won't even come to your daughter's own funeral…What kind of sick, twisted man are you? _

Naruto took one long look at the people assembled at the funeral, at Shino who couldn't or rather refused to cry despite the time he had spent with her, at Kiba who refused to look down at the black coffin being lowered into the ground, at Kurenai-sensai who watched the entire event through red eyes.

But then he turned toward Hiashi again and he narrowed his eyes.

_You should have been here…She was your daughter! You should have been here to say good bye to her!_

As if Hiashi was somehow reading Naruto's mind, the Hyuga turned and stared at Naruto.

_He'll get his…someday._

Naruto watched and listened as Shino, then Kiba, and then finally Kurenai each told a story they had about Hinata, and despite the grief he was feeling, the anger and the loss, he couldn't help but smile as each of Hinata's teammates and her sensai talked to each other about her determination, her courage in the face of adversity, and her dedication toward her teammates.

Naruto stepped forward slightly and looked down into the hole.

Kurenai noticed him and wiped away a few of her tears.

"Naruto? Do you have something to say?"

"Yeah…If it weren't for Hinata, I wouldn't have been here today. If Hinata hadn't stepped in when I was fighting Pain, I'm sure that Pain would have killed me. She deserved better than this…she deserved so much more."

Kurenai nodded and looked down at the coffin.

"She did…I promise you, she won't be forgotten, by any of us."

"I know you won't forget her…" Naruto shot a venomous glare at Hiashi who was still standing in the window. "It's _him_ that I'm concerned about. He won't even come to his own daughter's funeral."

Kurenai and Kiba both turned to look at Hiashi and then Kurenai turned back.

"Hiashi…never thought that much of Hinata. He always assumed that she was too weak to become the leader of the Hyuga clan. Even after all the amazing things she did, he never thought much of her."

Shino and Kiba both walked away, leaving only Naruto and Kurenai staring down at the coffin.

"Someone…should have gone with her after the fight with Neji. Someone should have made sure that she was safe, that her heart was examined."

Kurenai stared down at the coffin for a few more moments before turning to Naruto.

"You and Hinata became close after Pain attacked the village…Naruto, even with everyone rebuilding and all the work that was required, I never saw Hinata happier than I did in those days, but we have to accept that sometimes…things beyond our control happen. Either by nature or by mistakes, sometimes people die."

"But she _shouldn't_ have died Kurenai-sensai! I know she shouldn't have died! I've lost nearly everyone now…The pervy sage…and now Hinata. And to add to it…that _Baka_ Danzou is trying to become Hokage while Grandma Tsunade is still out."

Kurenai was about to respond when Naruto turned to the window where Hiashi was standing and stared at him with tear stained eyes.

"Kurenai-sensai…If it's alright with you, I'd like to be alone now. I just want sometime to…think."

Kurenai nodded and slowly walked toward the ramen bar. She could go for some ramen with a little sake mixed into it, if only to ease the pain for a little while.

A/N

((End of the First Chapter, please tell me what you think of it.))


	2. Chapter 2

**The Forest**

Naruto looked down at his body…or more accurately at the blood that was now pooling out of his body due to the kunai that were buried in him.

_Looks like I'm almost done…didn't think it would end like this._

He slowly rose to his feet while still staring at the ground and grinned. The Hyuga clan was now homeless and it appeared that some of them wanted revenge. Two of them had tracked all the way from Konoha and were beating him senseless.

Naruto had of course fought back, but he could only do so much against their Gentle Fist techniques before he had lost the ability to even raise his arms.

He turned his head up toward the two expressionless Hyuga clan members and laughed as they hit him once more, this time directly where his heart was located.

A mouthful of blood shot up into his mouth and he fell to his knees in pain as he nearly passed out from the pain.

The two Hyuga shinobi turned away from him, their task was done and as such they didn't care what happened to him now. Let him die alone in the rain.

_Hinata…_he thought sadly. _Hinata I think I'm going to see you soon._

**One week earlier**

Hiashi Hyuga sighed sadly as he watched his daughter's coffin descend into the earth. He would miss his daughter, but the business of the clan came first. Besides, he still had Hanabi to work with.

He caught the Uzumaki boy staring at him again and he stared back, looking him directly in the eyes, challenging him to do something about the fact that he wasn't present at his own daughter's funeral.

Truth be told, he didn't think he would be able to handle being there. He knew that eventually the tears would return to his eyes if he looked down into the ground and saw the coffin laying there. Under no circumstances would he show weakness in front of anyone.

**Later**

"What kind of father are you…to not go to your own daughter's funeral?"

Hiashi quickly turned around at the sound of the voice in his garden to see a boy in an orange jacket standing near the entrance to the garden. Naruto was staring at Hiashi with a gaze filled with hate.

"What kind of father...doesn't go to his own daughter's funeral?"

Hiashi rose to his feet and stared at him. "The kind of man who needs to look after his clan first and his children second. Do not presume that just because I didn't mourn Hinata at her funeral doesn't mean that I will not grieve in my own time."

Naruto stepped forward slightly and narrowed his eyes. "I remember the way you used to treat her. You used to treat her like garbage; you didn't care if she died or not when she first started!"

Hiashi ducked as Naruto threw a punch at his head, he then whirled around on his feet and struck Naruto with an open palm directly in the middle of his stomach. Naruto dropped to his knees in pain.

Hiashi stared daggers at him. "You are going to be carried away from my home. If you dare to return I will inform the Hokage and let him handle this."

Tow Branch members appeared from behind Hiashi and grabbed Naruto and began to drag him away from Hiashi.

Naruto stared at him as he was being dragged away. _You hated her. You never showed her any compassion, you always pushed her. You didn't think to check her heart after her battle with Neji and for that I'll never forgive you...I'll make you pay._


	3. Chapter 3

**Hyuga compound**

**((Sorry this took so long. I'm now in combat with the evil known as Writer's Block**

Naruto dodged another blow from the leader of the Hyuga clan and then quickly turned around and landed another punch to the stomach that made the older man jump backwards out of range.

He had snuck back into the compound...just waiting for Hiashi to let his guard down just long enough for him to get in a good hit on him, to let him know that he would never forgive him. Instead the older man had been ready for him.

_Why...Why didn't he love her? No matter how hard she tried she never was able to get his respect! Even when she went up against Pain he still showed her no respect! He deserves this._

"I told you to stay away from me." Hiashi said quietly as he dodged another punch from Naruto who was spinning around and trying to land another punch to his foe's stomach.

"I'm gonna make you suffer for what you did to Hinata! All these years she wanted your respect but you never gave it to her! You always put her down when she tried to talk to her!"

Hiashi didn't bother to reply as one of Naruto's kicks sent him flying through the door that led to his kitchen.

He slowly got to his feet only to have a fist slam into the side of his face and drop him to the ground again. The angry Naruto had a red aura around him and his teeth seemed sharper somehow.

"You're going to pay for not going to her funeral. You're going to pay for all the respect that you never gave her."

Hiashi dodged another blow from Naruto just as one of the Hyugas who was watching the fight threw a Kunai knife, hoping to hit Naruto while his back was to him only to miss him and sever one of the wires above the stove.

Hiashi quickly pivoted on one foot and slammed Naruto in the stomach as hard as he could with his gentle fist attack and watched as Naruto hit the ground with a gasp.

"I told you to leave once before. Now you will be forcibly taken off our grounds." Hiashi narrowed his eyes at Naruto who was now gasping as his red aura began to fade.

Two of the Hyugas grabbed him by the arms and dragged him out just as Hiashi looked behind him to see the loose wire rub up against the gas stove which was still on.

_No..._

The two Hyuga who were escorting Naruto away from the compound looked back just in time to see a large fireball erupt from the kitchen and quickly begin to spread to the rest of the compound as the few Hyugas who had remained inside quickly appeared on the lawn and watched through shocked eyes as their home began to burn.

Naruto quietly rose to his feet and slammed his fist into the larger of the two Hyugas who had dropped him to watch the fire and then quickly whirled around and knocked out the second one who had been quickly turning to see why his partner had collapsed.

Naruto watched through narrowed eyes as both Hyugas fell to the ground in a heap before taking off into the forest as quickly as he could.

**Later**

**((I know this was in the last chapter but I'm adding it here for dramatic effect.))**

Naruto gasped as another fist struck him in the stomach and blood began to pool out of his mouth as the larger of the two Hyugas continued to strike him.

He had managed to disable them while they were distracted by the fire but it hadn't lasted as long as he'd wanted. The two of them had managed to follow him and had begun to beat him. After the beating he had taken from Hiashi he really wasn't in any shape to fight two Hyuga branch members. Now here he was, getting the life beaten from him.

"You took our home from us!" The Hyuga shouted as his fist slammed into Naruto's stomach again and again. "I'll make sure you pay...pay for taking the only home we've ever known away from us..."

Naruto would have responded if he still had the ability but he was in far too much pain from the beating to respond. Instead he began to chuckle weakly as they continued to hit him.

_And they used to call me the monster, _he thought weakly as a sharp pain shot through his body.

He turned his head up toward the two expressionless Hyuga clan members and laughed as they hit him once more, this time directly where his heart was located.

A mouthful of blood shot up into his mouth and he fell to his knees in pain as he nearly passed out from the pain.

The two Hyuga shinobi turned away from him, their task was done and as such they didn't care what happened to him now. Let him die alone in the rain for all they cared.

_Hinata...Hinata I think I'm going to see you soon._

And then he lost the ability to stay awake as the pain finally overtook him.

_Hinata..._

**((One or two more chapters and then this story is done. If you have any ideas of what I should add feel free to leave me a message.**


	4. Chapter 4

**((A/N Short update, I know. How do you beat writer's block? It's really setting me back. Right now Naruto is in the Narutoverse equivalent of Heaven and the figure is just something I came up with. No real explanation of what he is.)) **

Instead of darkness there was light.

A soft white light surrounded Naruto as he drifted through the white void that surrounded him.

_Where am I?_

_I thought I was dead._

_Am I dead?_

_**Not dead...not yet.**_

_Who said that?_

_**I did.**_

A figure dressed in black walked forward. Naruto suddenly felt nervous looking at the figure. There was something...off about him. Something dangerous

_**If you had the chance to change your life...would you take it? **_

_What kind of question is that? Of course I would. _

_**What would you do? What actions would you take if you had the opportunity to change your own personal history? Would you kill? Would you save someone? Would you take your own life to save someone else?**_

_I would make sure Hinata was safe._

_**What else?**_

_Nothing else. I would make sure Hinata was properly taken care of before I would even think of changing anything else. Now answer my question: Where am I? What is this place?_

_**Why?**_

_Because she saved my life when I fought Pain all those weeks ago. She told me that...she loved me. I didn't know how to react...I should have said something...but I never had the chance to. She got sick one day and was taken to the hospital but nothing worked. She died._

_**And if you could...you would change that?**_

_Of course I would! She was one of my best friends...could have been more than a friend. I wish I could change it..._

Before he could do anything the light took him again.

**((A/N I got a request to do a medical scene chapter and I'm still thinking about doing it. I'd really appreciate it if my readers could tell me if they wanted me to do one or not.)) **


	5. Chapter 5

The light faded

Even before the light completely faded Naruto instantly knew where he was. The sounds of fighting...the smell of sweat and tears that were in the air.

_I can't believe it...I'm back at the Chunin exams. But how? Wait...That's Hinata in the area! She...She...I can't believe that Neji beat her so badly. What I wouldn't do to have five minutes alone with him in sage mode..._

Even as Naruto watched, Hinata collapsed on the floor and then a very worried Kurenai took her pulse. Naruto could barely hold himself back as he watched the medics hurriedly put her on a stretcher and carry her away.

_Her heart...they won't know what to look for! Hinata's gonna die again and this time it'll be my fault! No...Not this time. This time I'm gonna make sure that they know what to do._

He was about to quietly leave when he heard a very familiar voice above the low chatter of the chunin. "I swear...I'll win."

_Hmph. I was a bit of a loudmouth back then. Still am to be honest. This time...This time it'll be differ- wait...I wasn't wearing this before. Where did the hood and cloak come from?_

Naruto shrugged and quietly snuck up the stairway that would lead him to the Emergency room.

**Minutes later **

He watched from one of the darker corners of the Emergency room as the medics worked their hardest to save Hinata from imminent cardiac arrest.

_I need to wait for the last one to leave...It's the only way to change things this time around. I need to limit how many people see me and make sure Hinata is safe; those are the only two things that matter._

Naruto slid back further into the shadows as the doctors continued to work on Hinata, slowly but surely beginning to reverse the damage that Neji had done.

_It won't be enough...The doctors are going to miss damage that was hidden behind the heart, damage that will eventually kill her after her fight with Pain. _

_But not this time._

Naruto watched and waited as the doctors began to leave the room one at a time until only the youngest, most inexperienced was left. Naruto sighed.

_I guess it's going to be up to me to explain this to him._

He slowly walked forward and tapped the man on the shoulder. The man quickly turned around and jumped back when he saw the black cloaked figure standing behind him.

"Don't be scared. I just came by to tell you something. You and your friends missed something when you were operating on the girl. Come closer."

The doctor took a few hesitant steps forward before looking down.

"You missed a small abnormality when you were trying to save her," Naruto said quietly. "It's harmless right now but if it's not taken out now it will eventually kill her in a few years time."

The doctor then looked up at Naruto with a very confused look on his face.

"And before you ask, I can't tell you how I know this. All I can say is that if you want to save this girl's life then you need to go back and look for something that you missed.

The doctor shakily nodded and went back to work as a very cautiously optimistic Naruto watched as he worked to save Hinata's life.

**Hours later**

Naruto watched with relief as the doctor finally closed up Hinata's chest and stepped back as he held up a small chunk of...something. Naruto didn't really care what it was. All that mattered that whatever it was was out of Hinata and on its way toward a trash bin.

Naruto felt a tear coming to his eyes as the thing was finally thrown away and he smiled gratefully at the doctor. "Thank you...Thank you so much. You have no idea what you've done."

The doctor shakily nodded at him again as he noticed a white blur beginning to take shape around Naruto about the same time Naruto began to notice it.

"Looks like I've got to go."

The light was getting brighter and brighter even as he heard a small mumble coming from the operations table.

_She's awake... _

Naruto walked slowly toward the table and leaned next to Hinata's mouth so he could hear what she was mumbling.

"N-Naruto-kun...I did it. I stood up and fought."

Naruto smiled as she kept repeating herself, how ironic it would be if she knew who was next to her right now.

"Yeah...you really did Hinata," he said quietly as the light took him.


	6. Chapter 6

"N-Naruto-kun? Are you alright?"  
Naruto looked up sharply from his bowl of ramen at the sound of the familiar voice of Hinata Hyuga.

_What the hell? I was just at the chunin exams...I convinced the doctor to get rid of the problem...and then there was a bright flash and then..._

"Naruto-kun?"

Naruto looked at the nervous face of Hinata and then smiled brightly at the sudden realization that his mind came to.

_Hinata is alive! I can't believe it! Hinata is alive again! She didn't die this time!_

"N-Naruto-kun? W-Why are you staring at me?"

Naruto had to restrain himself from wrapping his arms around her as he continued to stare at her with an expression of pure joy on his face.

"Naruto-kun? I-Is something wrong?"

With a shout of joy, Naruto jumped up and wrapped his arms around her as tightly as he possibly could. Hinata's face, which had been its normal shade of color instantly turned an interesting shade of red as Naruto continued to hug her.

_N-Naruto-kun is h-hugging me! I can't believe it!_

"H-Hinata..." He said quietly "I'm so glad that you're still alive."

_Alive? What does he mean by that?_

Naruto continued to hold Hinata in the tight embrace even as she continued to wonder what he meant by "alive". Naruto finally let go of her and continued smiling at her, looking at her like someone who had suddenly found something that he had been looking for all his life.

Hinata was still blushing and staring past him even as Naruto spoke to her again, this time much more softly "When you fought to save me from Pain you said that you loved me."

The way Naruto said the word finally brought her out of her stupor and she turned her head toward her ramen and nodded her head as she stared down.

"I...didn't have a lot of time to think about it at first but then I kept hearing you say it...even when I was sleeping. I've had...a while to think about what you said. At first I was really confused so I had to think hard."

Hinata nodded her head again as Naruto leaned in close to the side of her face.

"I...I...had a dream. Where you died after your fight with Pain. Some sort of heart problem. The thing is that the only time I felt grief like I did that time was when the pervy sage died. I didn't know until then how much you meant to me."

Naruto finally brought his head up and turned to face her.

"You told me that you loved me...and I think I love you too Hinata."

Hinata stared straight at Naruto with the widest eyes that Naruto had ever seen. "Hinata? What's wrong Hinata? Are you alright?"

Hinata had no answer as she fainted dead away.

**((End of chapter. Do you think I should add an epilogue showing what happens to them in a few months or so?)) **


	7. Chapter 7

**Ten years later**

He was completely unprepared for the attack.

One second he was walking through the doors that would lead to the Hokage's office, _his_ office now and the next thing he knew he was on his back staring up into the white eyes of his attacker.

"Your mother brought you too work to say Hi to me again didn't she?"

The attacker nodded and then began to smile a very large smile.

"Can I get up now?"

The attacker nodded again and slowly got off of him and watched as Naruto got back up on his feet with a smile on his face.

"Anka...Did your mother let you in just so you could tackle me to the ground?"

Anka nodded her head vigorously while still smiling.

"That's not true! I brought her here because she wanted to see her father before we left to go see Grandpa Hiashi for the day."

Naruto turned and smiled at the newest arrival in his office.

Hinata Hyuga smiled at her husband and picked up the small black haired girl who was now standing off to the side.

"Isn't that right Anka? You wanted to say goodbye to your father before going off to visit grumpy old Grandpa Hiashi?"

Anka nodded and smiled up at her mother before turning and smiling at her father.

"I hope you two have a good time visiting Hiashi." Naruto said with a smile on his face. He knew how much the old man appreciated it when his daughter took the time to visit with him. And he also knew that the old man loved his granddaughter as well.

He watched as his daughter and his wife waved goodbye to him and then walked out the door and Naruto turned back to look out the window that was overlooking the village.

_It's amazing how much things have changed; _he thought was he watched the various people of the village go about their business. _It's amazing that we were finally able to bring about a lasting peace for the time being. We don't need to send our men and woman into battle anymore._

Naruto's eyes wandered to his cloak which was hanging from the wall. It was a nice day out and there was paperwork to be completed...Still...it could wait a day or two. And tomorrow was supposed to be rainy and stormy: a perfect day to complete the paperwork.

Naruto grinned and went over and pulled on his Hokage's cloak and then walked straight out the door without a second thought.


End file.
